Stories - Overseas

April 2018 The Stroud Courier

Students listened to what those who suffer from hearing loss go through

What is it like to walk in someone else’s shoes? Many are familiar with this concept but not its experience. After all, people live different lives for a reason and rarely imagine a world that is not the one they know. Even if it may not be possible to share someone else’s experience, it is possible to acknowledge it. Audiologist Dr. Susan Dillmuth-Miller gave a presentation about hearing loss and then led a panel discussion where four students, Vincenzo Bono, Thomas Stocker, Byron Crone and Joe Schell, engaged with audience members about their experiences with hearing loss and being a student with hearing loss.

Dr. Dillmuth-Miller began the presentation by asking the audience what they knew about signs of hearing loss and explained her job as an audiologist. According to her presentation, 4 out of 1000 college students have some form of hearing loss, and the number is 1 out 3 for older people. She also also reported that only 70% of college students with hearing loss graduate. She then asked the audience to try “unfair spelling test,” where participants are asked to write down 10 words that they hear, but the sound is altered to demonstrate how someone with hearing loss may hear them. By a show of hands, the majority of the audience heard less than 50% of the words correctly. She also noted how some did not try or looked at the answers of others. After the presentation, Dr. Dillmuth-Miller turned the conversation over to the audience and the four students who agreed to share their experiences with hearing loss.

Vincenzo Bono is a senior majoring in rehabilitation and human services. He used to have profound hearing loss until he received a cochlear implant. He revealed that choosing a college was difficult because he was unsure if he would be properly accommodated. He said that while services like note takers helped him because he is a visual learner, it took a while to figure out which accommodations would work best. Joe Schell, a graduate student with unilateral hearing loss in his right ear, admitted that he at first did not want to draw attention to his hearing loss, since it is an “invisible disability.” Byron Crone revealed that while there were some professors who did not put forth much effort, the majority of his instructors, especially the ones in the History Department,were helpful.

An audience member then asked the students about how they interact with people who do not understand their hearing loss. Joe Schell explained that sometimes the most frustrating interactions can be with those closest to him. Thomas Stocker, who studies history and is graduating a year early, said that it can be frustrating to have to continually explain his hearing loss to others, so sometimes he stays away from social activities as a result. He also gave important parting words to the audience: “Just because we’re different, doesn’t mean we’re not worth your time.”

Hear 4 U, a campus support group for students with all types and severities of hearing loss, meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.